Harry Potter fans around the world were thrilled when Hogwarts Legacy was announced last year. A next-generation video game set in JK Rowling’s wonderful wizarding world is something that many have been crying out for for years. Though it’s since been pushed back to allow the team over at Portkey Games to produce a truly unforgettable experience, anticipation is still continuing to build.
Obviously, the game will need to take certain things from the eight Potter movies in order to really deliver the goods, as they’re the benchmark when it comes to material outside of the books. So, here are 10 things the title should take from the eight blockbusters that released between 2000 and 2001.
Albus Dumbledore Or Gellert Grindelwald
Hogwarts Legacy will be set in the 1800s, which is way before Harry first walks through the giant oak doors of the Great Hall. That also rules out many other characters appearing, simply because they’re too young. However, not every single person from JK Rowling’s novel is a baby (or not even that) at that time.
Albus Dumbledore attended Hogwarts during the 1800s, meaning it’s highly possible the Hogwarts Headmaster will make an appearance in some form. Gellert Grindelwald went to Durmstrang around the same period, and it’s also feasible he’ll appear, as well, perhaps acting as the game’s main villain.
Phineas Nigellus Black
In the Order of the Phoenix movie, Sirius Black and Harry have a sweetheart to heart inside Number 12 Grimmauld Place. This conversation takes place in front of a giant family tapestry, which contains the name of Phineas Nigellus Black. The character used to be Hogwarts headmaster, and he is widely considered as one of the worst people to have taken on the role according to the fifth book.
Phineas’ backstory may be more fleshed out in Hogwarts Legacy, potentially explaining why he was so unpopular. In the source material, he ends up helping Albus Dumbledore and even Harry, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger when they go on the run. It would be curious to see him finally in the flesh instead of being a mere portrait hanging on a wall.
A Dangerous Forbidden Forest
Harry ends up going into the Forbidden Forest during pretty much every movie, barring the Deathly Hallows: Part 1. It’s made clear in the Sorcerer’s Stone that it's off-limits to all students, but this doesn’t stop the Boy Who Lived from ending up there with ridiculous frequency, encountering strange and dangerous beasts from Centaurs to Werewolves, Dementors to an unhinged Flying Ford Anglia.
The game should make the place similarly deadly. Students should be able to explore but keep their wits about them in case something scary comes their way, while entry could also lead to punishments like house points being docked or even detention. Adding consequence would up the risk and, therefore, excitement too.
Lessons
Part of the reason why Bully was so successful upon releasing in 2006 was due to the fact you got to do actual school things. One of the biggest positives was the ability to attend lessons, refining your skills, and ultimately becoming the baddest kid in the playground.
Lessons are a big part of Harry Potter, from Defence Against the Dark Arts to Potions, and the chance to actually learn more things about the wizarding world carries immense appeal. The old Potter games, based on the movies, usually included multiple lessons that led to entertaining adventures. Hogwarts Legacy, therefore, should do the same.
Questionable Teachers…
While on the subject of lessons, that brings us onto teachers. Hogwarts, despite being a majestic school, doesn’t get every appointment right; from Severus Snape to Dolores Umbridge, Gilderoy Lockhart to Quirinus Quirrell, Albus Dumbledore’s judgement was definitely askew at times.
Yet, while that’s the case, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Many of Harry’s teachers are just as intriguing as the Boy Who Lived himself, and it would be great for Hogwarts Legacy to include a similar bunch of characters with questionable approaches to the education sector. If not, then things could get rather bland and make the world less interesting as a result.
…And A Questionable Caretaker, Too
Hogwarts also has a bad record when it comes to caretakers, at least in the form of Argus Filch. He’s a squib jealous of every single student allowed into the castle, and, like Umbridge and Snape, he does everything in his power to throw his weight around and make pupils at the school miserable.
Filch is a menacing presence in the Potter movies, even if his role lessens with each passing movie. It would be great to see Hogwarts have a similarly sinister caretaker during the 1800s. Stealth missions that involve evading them would be fun to play, especially if there are added consequences such as house points being docked or detention. Fingers crossed they’re just as hapless as Filch himself…
Quidditch
Quidditch is the number-one sport when it comes to the wizarding world, something Harry learns even before he gets to Hogwarts. The Boy Who Lived turns out to be a natural, being given the role of Seeker on the Gryffindor team after wowing Professor McGonagall by catching a Rememberall. This inspired many across the world, with the game now an actual sport in real life.
Given its popularity, the team over at Portkey Games simply has to include it. Older Potter games did this, allowing players to become heroes of the castle in the process. The chance to bring home Quidditch Cup glory is simply too good an opportunity to turn down.
A Time Turner
In the Prisoner of Azkaban movie, Hermione shocks Harry and Ron by taking on far too many subjects. It's only at the end of the story that she then reveals she’s been using a time-turner to attend multiple classes at once, with Minerva McGonagall approving the idea in secret at the beginning of the school year.
Time-Turners are special and fascinating objects in the Harry Potter universe, and, even though Hogwarts Legacy is set in the 1800s, it would be awesome to venture even further back in time. After all, there are so many questions about how the community started in the first place. Going back in time may help fill in the blanks, while also providing the foundations for a bold and daring quest.
The Lake
The Hogwarts lake is visible in every Potter movie, barring the Deathly Hallows: Part 1. What’s a shame, however, is the lack of details regarding the location in the films. Sure, the Goblet of Fire introduces merpeople, but that’s about it. This is where Hogwarts Legacy can right the wrongs of the films, giving it more scale and depth.
For example, finding the giant squid would be an amazing adventure, especially if it has a big payoff. Using Gillyweed to trawl its depths would enjoyable, as well, particularly given the potential for it to host loads of little collectibles. Let’s hope the 2022 game finds a way to make the place just as mysterious and enchanting as it is during the source material.
A Cosy Common Room
The Gryffindor Common Room is home within a home for Harry at Hogwarts. It’s where the Boy Who Lived spends his downtime relaxing or doing homework, with many cozy scenes set there over the course of the eight movies. Given its warm atmosphere, Hogwarts Legacy would be wise to replicate this.
The common room could act as a central hub for the playable characters, perhaps being a place where mini-games such as chess and gobstones can take place. Characters could even gamble with fictitious money, adding an extra layer of competition to things.